Democrats have wishfully seized on every GOP circus-like moment — from Donald Trump to Todd Akin — in the hope that Republicans will seem so out of the mainstream that even a bad economy wouldn’t keep Barack Obama from reelection.
And Republicans, if they are being honest, have secretly (and sometimes not-so-secretly) felt that Mitt Romney just doesn’t have what it takes to win in November. There’s the “too stiff” caucus, the “too rich” group, the “too craven” contingent.
And yet here we are, in the last of August and the first of September, and Romney is tied if not a tiny bit ahead in national polls. Despite his own weaknesses as a candidate and a wretched run for the Republican brand — a historical slide that began with the collapse of the Gingrich revolution in the late 1990s that accelerated with the wild spending spree of the George W. Bush years — Romney has a real chance to become the 45th president of the United States.
He has a moment to seize, and he has to do what he appears to dislike most — take a risk — in order to seize it. His place in the polls at the moment can be largely chalked up to external forces — chiefly, of course, the virtually nonexistent recovery and the uncertainty the business community feels over taxes and regulation under Obama.
The past tells us that externalities can put you in the game, but it takes a real leader to cross the goal line. In 1980, the weak economy and sense of national drift gave Ronald Reagan an opening, but he was even with President Carter or trailing through much of the fall. It was only in the last week of the campaign, in the Cleveland debate, that Reagan showed America (and the world) his special gift of speaking with conviction and charm that led voters to bury Carter in a landslide. Reagan had a moment to seize, and he seized it.
Eight years later, Michael Dukakis came out of the Atlanta convention with a huge lead. Sure, his miscues — the helmet in the tank and all of that — gave George H.W. Bush an opening, but Bush grabbed it with a powerful convention speech that showed Americans a steel and a passion for service that resonated. Bush had a moment to seize, and he seized it.
Now it’s Romney’s turn. It could be a speech or a moment on the trail or, most likely, a cumulative impression left in the debates. Romney’s been given a great gift, something few men in American history have ever had: a real shot at the presidency. To close the deal he’s going to have to convince Americans that he’s not just a manager or a reassuring presence, but that he’s got the wherewithal to make tough fiscal choices before the American Dream sustains irrevocable damage.
It’s your moment, Mitt. Make the most of it. We’re here and we’re listening.
A guest columnist for POLITICO, Joe Scarborough hosts “Morning Joe” on MSNBC and represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001.
16 comments:
I disagree. Romney has had opportunities to close the gap all year. I think that now is not the best time, but as good a time as any to make a move. Hover, I honesty do not think there's anything Romney can do now that will put him ahead of Obama. If I were to guess, I'd say the only reason Romney is up in the polls is because of the recent Republican National Convention, which was full of pro-Romney rhetoric. After this year's Democratic National Convention, I suspect, Barack Obama will surge forward.
It is Mitt Romney’s moment to step out even more to truly convince Americans that he is the man for the job. Romney has clearly already shown that he can take on the major responsibility, but to assure his position, Romney needs to prove one last time that he can win the hearts of Americans. The closer it gets to election day, the more Romney has to really show who he is, what he stands for, and what he will do to improve the United States of America. It is crucial for Romney to make a superior final impression in order to directly lean voters towards him.
I do not know much about politics, and I don't pretend too, but I do know that this country has fourteen trillion dollars in debt. That number is a whole lot more than four years ago. George W. Bush did leave a lot of debt for Mr. Obama to deal with, so the blame is not purely on The President, but in my opinion, Mr. Obama could have at least tried to minimize spending and start on decreasing that debt. If Romney can convince the American public that he can do what Mr. Obama has not done, then he may have a chance at winning.
This says that Romney has an opportunity to seize just like Bush and Reagan did, but what exactly does he have to do? Is Scarborough saying if Romney shows that he would address/work on the uncertainty the business community feels over taxes and regulation that he will win the election?
November 6th is approaching and everyone's anxious to see how things will turn out and how each candidate will present themselves. Each candidate has an almost even chance of winning this. Romney might be the "weakest candidate" but he does have an opportunity to seize and take the glory. It worked for Reagan and Bush and we'll just have to wait and see what, when, and how Romney will seize it.
Although past presidents have taken moments and “seized” them, thus resulting in their win of the presidential race, I feel as if Romney’s chances aren’t nearly as high as Reagan’s or Bush’s odds were, for that matter. Nor do I believe that he has what it takes to lead and get this great country back on the track to success, at the present moment at least. That being said, there is only one way to find out - come November we might all be proven wrong. Romney might just surprise us and reach out to Americans the way they feel they need to be reached out to and snatch the election away from Obama. (which I highly doubt)
I think it was a wise choice of the Democrats to choose a Latino key note speaker. The President is obviously trying to capture the minorities votes; Castro is more relatable and therefore can further influence them to reelect Obama. I disagree with the "pay your fair share" approach to stabilizing the economy because I believe it is sending out the wrong message to our generation. The current low-middle class, in my opinion, will ultimately want to remain there for the future because they're getting by with the money the upper-class is giving them. So why bother striving for success? I think that if Obama is reelected, his next four years will greatly reduce America's drive for achievement. Obama displays skill in his choosing of the Democratic National Convention speakers, but not in his economic strategies.
I see how most Republicans are in the "oh no what have we done" state after allowing Romney to be their candidate, but I definitely think he might have to potential to move a bit forward in the polls. Michelle Obama's speech was very good though, and we'll have to see when the DNC ends to know for sure. Honestly, due to Obama's track record as president so far and Romney's.. well... Romney-ness, it may be a very close race. I'm excited to see it unfold.
I couldn't say how Romney should go about taking control of this election, or if I want him to for that matter. He's an amazing businessman, but Paul Ryan scares me. I don't have a very good bead on the man yet, but I'm glad his name isn't on the presidential ballot. That being said, I think Romney is going to have to take a risk to get himself elected, or my generation will pay through the nose when we take over.
There is less than two months until the election and if Romney plays his cards right, he just might become the next president of the United States. Like the article says, he has not been the favorite for Republicans thorughout the entire election process, and he may not be as great of a public speaker as Mr. Obama, but he does have a great opportunity here. If he sees it and uses it, as Reagan and Bush have done, he could definitely win the 2012 elections.
I think Romney hasnt really been the Republican's first choice of candidate but hes smarter then most americans and I really believe that he can find his moment to pull through this race.I don't know what its gonna take for him to get the voters on his side but Bush pulled through and it looks that Romney could as well. This country really needs to get out of its debt; Romney may not get us out but he may be able to get us one step closer. If Romney can present a speech with a pretty promising plan on how to solve this debt and economic crisis, that just may be his winning ticket.
If Romney has a surefire way to win the election, he needs to get take action. The time is closing in on him, and though he surely does have the red vote in the bag and secure, he needs to draw the attention of the undecided voters and lead them his way. Traditionally, undecided voters either review all of the facts or none of them to make their decision, so Romney needs to be able lay his policies down on the table in order to get the majority of the vote. I agree that it is still very possible for him to win, but no mistakes can be made if he intends to win.
It's unfortunate that most voters have a short term memory and don't have a clue that Obama inherited a big mess from the past administration. That being said Americans struggling since the recession who don't feel they have benefited from Obama's policies will most likely vote for Romney. All in the hope for some miracle plan to save or mend the nations' economic crisis within four years.
Mitt Romney has a very good chance of taking over as president of the United States. In order to take over however, he is going to have to take that chance that Bush and Reagan took. He is going to have to lay it all out on the line and give one last great speech in order to win the election
From what I know about this up-coming election and what I've read, heard, and observed about Romney and Obama, I feel that Mitt Romney is going to take this election. With Carter and George H. W. Bush as examples, they took charge when they knew there was an opening that could change their chances for the best. The past four years we have dealt with economical problems especially dealing with the trillions of dollars of debt that we are in. Obama took this money for whatever reason he thought best for the Nation but yet we are still unaware of what he used this for. There has never been a presidency where the Nation's financial debt has been so much in the red. There are unanswered questions about so much that has happened the past three and a half years with Obama. From my point of view, I feel that many Americans choose Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney will take it and have November 6th in the palm of his hands.
I believe that Romney will adroitly make his next move that will push him over the edge in the race for president. Because of his previous background in venture capitalism it will help him in making quick, but smart decisions. It will be very effective and captivate Americans just like it has with our former presidents.
Post a Comment